When the Rev Neville Naden and his wife Kathie began working with Bush Church Aid 18 years ago as church planters in Broken Hill, they were the only Aboriginal people on staff.

As Mr Naden prepares to retire from BCA after a decade as a church planter and more than eight years as the organisation’s Indigenous Minister Officer, there are now four Aboriginal couples working as field staff, an Indigenous member of the BCA board and two Aboriginal bursary students at Bible college.

Mr Naden was also instrumental in encouraging the creation of a chaplaincy training program at Nungalinya College – the Indigenous training college in Darwin – as well as supporting the implementation of a mobile ministry training program for First Nations people. 

“The biggest issue that we have is finding the Aboriginal people who want to seek training to work in this space,” he says. “They are as scarce as hen’s teeth! I think if we found the people, the Lord would provide the funds. We are totally confident in that.”

He adds that when the Bush Church Aid Society was founded in 1919, Aboriginal people were viewed as a mission field: a group to whom the gospel could be taken. Over he and his wife’s time with BCA, he says, “we tried to turn that on its head and get the executive and staff to see Aboriginal people as a mission force – them having the potential to take the gospel to their own people – so BCA is serious about doing that. To empower Indigenous people to minister in the Indigenous space.”

For the national director of BCA, the Rev Canon Greg Harris, there is both sadness at Mr Naden’s retirement and gratitude for what has been accomplished over the years.

“It has been a joy to work alongside Neville and to learn from his wisdom and experience,” 

“Together, Neville and Kathie developed cultural awareness training, aimed to assist ministers, clergy and other mission workers in ministering to and alongside Indigenous peoples,” he says. “Neville and Kathie brought their personal insights and experiences, as well as valuable knowledge and skills, into these training sessions. This training was rolled out to all BCA field staff and... other organisations, theological colleges, training seminars and various other contexts all around Australia.

“Another of Neville’s key accomplishments was BCA’s acknowledgement of country and reconciliation action plan. Both these documents, prayerfully and carefully crafted, have become key parts of BCA’s commitment to Indigenous ministry.”

Mr Naden will officially finish his role on June 30 but he and Mrs Naden plan to make a final visit to all their partner churches over the next few months.

“Some of them have walked with us over the past 18 years,” he says, adding his hope that these churches – and many other Christians – will continue to pray for and support the ministry. 

“I would like to encourage all our supporters to continue to provide the resources that are necessary for BCA to continue to raise up Indigenous Christian workers. And if that can be done, that would please my heart no end.”